8-8-18
LAWYERS FOR A MAN, WHO SHOT AND KILLED LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICER CORPORAL MICHAEL MIDDLEBROOK ON OCTOBER FIRST, ARE CONSIDERING AN INSANITY DEFENSE. 28-YEAR-OLD IAN HOWARD OF LAFAYETTE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND THREE COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED FIRST DEGREE MURDER INVOLVING COLLATERAL VICTIMS. HE WAS SCHEDULED TO GO TO TRIAL IN SEPTEMBER ON THE ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES, BUT THE JUDGE HAS DELAYED THE TRIAL TO JANUARY SEVENTH AT THE REQUEST OF HIS ATTORNEYS. JUDGE JULES EDWARDS TOLD HOWARD’S LAWYERS THEY HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER FOURTH TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER THEY WILL PROCEED WITH AN INSANITY DEFENSE.
CHARGES OF MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE AND ABUSE OF OFFICE AGAINST FORMER LAKE CHARLE DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF T-J BELL HAVE BEEN DISMISSED. THE MALFEASANCE CHARGE WAS BECAUSE A FORMER CLERK UNDER HIS SUPERVISION, JEANINE BLANEY, WAS ACCUSED OF PUBLIC PAYROLL FRAUD FOR RECEIVING PAY FOR HOURS SHE DIDN’T WORK. THE ABUSE OF OFFICE CHARGE WAS BECAUSE BELL ALLEGEDLY HAD BLANEY DO HIS HOMEWORK AND ASSIGNMENTS FOR CLASSES HE WAS TAKING AT MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY. DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOHN DEROSSIER SAYS THE CITY OF LAKE CHARLES ASKED THAT THE CHARGES BE DISMISSED BECAUSE THEY FELT IT WAS TIME TO MOVE ON AND HE HAD BEEN PUNISHED ENOUGH ALREADY.
THE MAYOR OF ST. MARTINVILLE, MEL NARCISSE MITCHELL, HAS DECIDED TO SUSPEND POLICE CHIEF RICKY MARTIN FOR TWO DAYS. THAT’S BECAUSE MARTIN USED VULGAR LANGUAGE WHEN SCOLDING AN EMPLOYEE DURING A MEETING THAT NARCISSE ATTENDED. MITCHELL SAYS MARTIN IS A REALLY GOOD CHIEF BUT THE LANGUAGE USED WAS UNPROFESSIONAL. SHE SAYS SHE’LL WORK OUT A TIME FOR THE SUSPENSION SO THAT IT DOESN’T INTERFERE WITH THE DEPARTMENT’S INVESTIGATION INTO THE SHOOTING DEATH SUNDAY OF 17-YEAR-OLD MALIK FILER.
YESTERDAY GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS RENEWED HIS CALL FOR A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER IN EACH SCHOOL IN THE STATE, BUT HE’S STILL WAITING FOR ALL THE SCHOOLS TO REPORT BACK ON HOW MANY THEY MIGHT NEED. EDWARDS WAS AT MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL IN BATON ROUGE MEETING WITH A 19 MEMBER BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION ON SCHOOL SAFETY THAT HE HAD FORMED BACK IN FEBRUARY. SO FAR, HE SAYS, MOST HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN ASSESSED FOR SAFETY WITH MIDDLE AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS NEXT. THERE IS A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM IN LAFAYETTE PARISH WITH AT LEAST ONE OFFICER IN EACH SCHOOL THIS YEAR.
TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. TRAFFIC IS EXPECTED TO BE HEAVIER AS A RESULT AND SCHOOL ZONES WILL BE HEAVILY ENFORCED. A TOTAL OF 258 BUS ROUTES WILL RUN THIS YEAR, AND THE BUS INFORMATION CALL CENTER IS AVAILABLE AT 521-RIDE. SCHOOL IS ALSO BEGINNING TODAY IN ACADIA, IBERIA, AND ST. MARY PARISHES.
LAST NIGHT, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT HELD THE FIRST OF SIX PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGS OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS TO INFORM CALCASIEU PARISH RESIDENTS ABOUT THE UPCOMING I-210 BRIDGE PROJECT. THE PLAN FOR NOW IS TO ALWAYS HAVE ONE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION OPEN BUT A THIRD LANE CLOSURE COULD HAPPEN, MEANING THE BRIDGE WILL BE ONE WAY ONLY DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF THE WEEK. THE CONTRACTOR OF THE PROJECT TELLS KPLC TV THAT THE CONSTRUCTION COULD BEGIN IN OCTOBER. IT’S EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE FALL OF NEXT YEAR.
STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS SAY A REPAVEMENT OF HIGHWAY 90 BETWEEN HUTCHINSON AVENUE IN CROWLEY AND ZAUNBRECHER ROAD IN RAYNE SHOULD BE COMPLETED LATER THIS YEAR. DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR BILL OLIVER SAYS THAT STRETCH WAS HAD CRACKS AND JOINTS COMING THROUGH THE ASPHALT. THE ROAD ITSELF WILL BE REINFORCED AND TWO LAYERS OF ASPHALT WILL BE LAID DOWN. ALSO A NEW TRAFFIC SIGNAL WILL BE PUT AT HUTCHINSON AND EASTERN AVENUES IN CROWLEY, WHICH WILL HAVE SENSORS SO THAT THE SIGNALS CAN BE SWITCHED BASED ON TRAFFIC CONDITIONS.
A JENNINGS MAN, WHO WAS SHOT BY A WOMAN ONE WEEK AGO, IS STILL IN THE HOSPITAL RECOVERING. 42-YEAR-OLD KATHLEEN MOUTON WAS ARRESTED AND HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED SECOND DEGREE MURDER. POLICE CHIEF DANNY SEMMES SAYS MOUTON TRACKED DOWN THE MAN AFTER FINDING OUT HE HAD BEEN IN A FIGHT WITH HER SON. HE SAYS MOUTON GOT INTO A VERBAL ALTERCATION WITH THE MAN AND THEN SHOT HIM MULTIPLE TIMES.
